When Comedians Aren’t Funny
Apparently, someone at the White House Correspondents’ Association picked Amber Ruffin, a young, up-and-coming comedian, to host this year’s dinner on April 26. But not long after, they pulled the plug. Maybe someone finally watched her latest bit on Seth Meyers.
Ruffin writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers. In the video below, all she does is read headlines and say, “And I was like, what?” That’s it. On loop. How is that comedy? I was ready to give her a fair shot—because yes, we do need more women in comedy. We really do. But come on.
But then Amber Ruffin opened her mouth about how she planned to “entertain” the crowd—and that’s when the organizers suddenly realized, oops, maybe she wasn’t the best choice after all. While flapping her gums on Samantha Bee’s podcast for The Daily Beast, Ruffin went full activist, laying out her big plan to use the emcee gig as a political hit job. She even called the Trump administration “a bunch of murderers.” Subtle, right?
So yeah, the event planners yanked her faster than a bad mic at an open mic night. Turns out, even the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has a line—and Amber Ruffin tripped over it in heels.
In her real voice, Amber Ruffin actually comes across as an intelligent human being—which makes me wish she’d use that brain of hers to craft comedy that actually works for everyone. When did being mean and taking lazy potshots at people become the gold standard for laughs? If she were truly good at this comedy thing, she’d be able to create a routine that brings everyone in, leaves us wanting more, and doesn’t just cater to one side.
We need to laugh—together. Not at each other.
The members of the White House Correspondents’ Association, along with its president, ultimately pulled Ruffin from the event because they didn’t want to further antagonize President Trump. This dinner is supposed to celebrate the work of their colleagues—not serve as an audition for the next political rant fest.
Late last month, the WHCA board voted unanimously to pull Ruffin to avoid further antagonizing Trump. WHCA president Eugene Daniels explained that he wanted to “ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work.” – New York Post
Well, it looks like at least a few folks in Washington, D.C., are finally starting to read the room. The constant vitriol from the left is getting old—even for them—and some are deciding they want no part of it. When your idea of entertainment is just mean-spirited jabs disguised as comedy, don’t be surprised when people start backing away slowly.
Maybe—just maybe—they’re realizing that not everything has to be a political tantrum in disguise. There’s a difference between being edgy and being exhausting.
So, little miss Amber Ruffin, You’re Fired!
Feature Image: Amber Ruffin/User777321, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro
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